More than Just a Birthday

Tuesday, my birthday, was more than just a birthday.
It was a testament to how much people love me.

My sisters came to my house well past midnight, the night before, to heart attack me. To write personalized, special, dirty, and pretty hilarious love notes all over my house.

They did it not because they had to, but because they wanted to. Because the love me.

And then I went to work. And people had given me balloons, and gifts, and they had even decorated my twin brother's cubie.
And we were happy.

After work, the sisters had planned a secret lunch for Brett and I. We of course knew about it weeks in advance, but our family still inisists on calling it the "Secret Birthday Lunch." It was lovely. So many people had put so much time and effort into a delicious lunch to celebrate me. (And him. :)

Afterward, Brandon had planned with Angela (Brett's wife) that we were going to go to a movie, and dinner. And then afterward Brandon had a surprise for me. I had no idea what it was, much to my conseternation. I ALWAYS know what my surprises are. I'm a master guesser and snooper. But not this time. I could not get it out of him, I could not figure it out.

After the movie was over, we had to stop at Brett and Angela's to get the gift card for Market Street Grill, where we were to partake of our birthday meal.

I walked in the door.

I walked up the landing.

And there were people everywhere. I looked around, bewildered.

SURPRISE!!!!! Everybody shouted.

And I just stared.

I was in shock.

My first two thoughts were

1) Someone had died and everybody was here to tell me about it

or

2) Some idgit had planned some sort of INTERVENTION on my birthday. (LAME)

But no.

They were here for me. For my birthday. To celebrate me. (And Brett. :)
I wanted to cry. These people could be at their kids soccer games, or they could be at a movie, they could be anywhere else in the world but here, to celebrate me. I kept saying Thank you so much for coming, for being here. Because I couldn't believe that they would. Just because. Just because they love me.

The party was amazing. Burgers, fruit, cakes, the whole works. My best friend drove four hours from St. George to come. My dear friend D that I haven't seen in a long time came. My sisters, their spouses. Brett's (and mine) old friends from high school. My in-laws, everyone. They all came.
Last night, as I was uploading all these photos, I looked at Brandon, and I said,
"I do believe I'm going to cry."

And I did. Because SO MANY people did SO MUCH for me on my birthday. More than I felt I deserved.

Well, the tears wouldn't stop. I put away the laundry, loaded the dishes, all the while, with tears of gratitude streaming down my face. Of awe.

I am loved, even though at times I feel I don't deserve it.

On my birthday, and always. Thank you for giving me that. For giving me more than just a birthday.

It was the best gift I could have ever received.

[EDIT: the pictures in this post are screwed up; some won't enlarge. I'll fix it later.]